Monday 7 February 2011 18.09 EST
First published on Monday 7 February 2011 18.09 EST

Thomas Hitzlsperger will give West Ham United a boost in their battle against relegation by playing his comeback game for the reserves at West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday night.

The Germany midfielder, who was the club's big-name summer signing, is yet to play in a competitive fixture for them, having suffered a serious thigh muscle tear on international duty on the eve of the season. He had enjoyed an encouraging pre-season at West Ham after his move as a free agent from Lazio but he was forced off in Germany's 2-2 draw with Denmark on 11 August.

Hitzlsperger spent some time over the winter in Germany on an intensive rehabilitation programme but he returned to London last month and he has gradually stepped up his work. He has now resumed full training and the reserve-team fixture at Albion's training ground will represent another step in the right direction.

West Ham will cling to any kind of tonic, after the deflation of the 1-0 home defeat by their relegation rivals Birmingham City on Sunday. The result was compounded by injuries to the central defenders James Tomkins and Matthew Upson and the striker Robbie Keane, not to mention a bust-up involving the full-back Julien Faubert.

The Frenchman was furious to be told, on his arrival at Upton Park, that he was not in the squad and he promptly left the stadium. When Tomkins hurt his calf in the warm-up and had to withdraw, it was announced that Faubert had been promoted to the substitutes' bench but he could not be contacted until after the match had started when he said he would not return to the ground. The manager, Avram Grant, was forced to make do with six substitutes. The club have opened an investigation and they seem certain to fine Faubert two weeks' wages, which equates to around £65,000.

Faubert has denied refusing to sit on the bench. "It was a misunderstanding.They asked me to go to the ground just in case there was an injury," he told the Sun. "When I arrived they told me there was no problem and I wasn't in the squad.

"I told the chief physio I was leaving and he said 'OK, see you next week'. On my way home my wife Pamela called and told me she'd taken my little son to hospital because he had a chest infection and I had to take care of my eldest because there was no one to look after him. I had to go and pick him up to take him home."

Grant's team had won away at Blackpool last Wednesday but they brought their supporters back down to earth with a jolt against Birmingham. "There was a lack of energy," said the defender Winston Reid, "and Birmingham took the opportunity when they had it. Why was there a lack of energy? I don't know, it's hard to say. We just couldn't put it in. It's hard because we wanted to win the game and move out of the bottom three."

West Ham face another relegation six-pointer at West Brom on Saturday. "Football's a strange game," Reid said. "Birmingham wasn't too good but hopefully we can win the next one. We have to have confidence we can go there and get three points. We have to start winning games."